Briquet-making machine.



No. 712,696.' Patented Nov. 4, I902.

R. MARTIN.

BRIQUET MAKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1902.

THE Nonms PETERS 00., wo'raumu, wAsnmmoN. u. c.

UNITED. STATES PA-TENT OFFICE.

RICHARD MARTIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 'ASSIGNOR OF. ONE- HALF TO STEPHEN T. SMITH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IBRIQUET-MAJKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 712,696, dated November 4, 1902. Application filed March 31, 1902. Serial No. 100,681. (No model.)

To all whom, it maylconcern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MARTIN,-a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of 5 California, have invented an Improvement in Briquet-Making Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and- .exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a machine which is IO designed for the manufacture of compressed blocks or briquets of coal mixed with some binding material, so that the pulverized coal and binding material can be compressed into solid blocks of suitable size, shape, and hardmess to prevent their breaking in handling and make them serviceable as fuel.

My invention consists of a horizontallyrevoluble table having two sets of radiallyslidable plungers movable in line with each other by the action of suitable cams. Above and in line with the path of travel of the outermost plungers is anannular hopper into which the properly-mixed coal and binding material are delivered, and the outer plungers move transversely across the channel which is filled from thishopper. The material is forced from this hopper into a mold by the movement of the outer plungers, and the outer ends of the inner plungers act as abut- 3o ments to stop the inner end of the mold, while the outer plungers are moved sufiiciently to compress the material within the mold. Then the inner plungers retract while the outer ones continue to follow until the briquet is dischargedfrom the mold intoa space through which it may dropaway from the machine.

Myinvention alsocomprises details of construction which will be more fully explained I by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure 1.is a horizontal section of my in-;

Fig.

vention, taken 011 the line m m, Fig. 2. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 'y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the plungers and side view of the guides. Fig. 4 is a l0ngitudinal section through the plungers, showing the forming of a block.

As here illustrated, A is an annular wheel or body having an annular chamber B around desirable.

its periphery and above this a corresponding 30 annular hopper C, into which the material from which the briquets are to be made is deposited so that it falls into and fills the chamber 13. This device is mounted-upon a central guide-post 2, fixed to a suitable base, and any suitable antifrictional bearings, as 3, en able it to turnfreely and easily upon its support. Around the periphery of the part A. and, as here shown, on the lower surface is the toothed gear 4, which is engaged by a corre- 6o sponding pinion, as at'5, mounted upon a driving-shaft, so that this portion of the apparatus may be revolved about its center. Holes are made radially and horizontally through the part A and crossing the c'hamber 13, and within these holes plungers 6 are adapted to reciprocate. In line with the holes inv the outer part of A are other holes 7, interior to the chamber B, and these openings serve. as wmolds in which the briquets are formed, as will be hereinafter described. Interior to the molds 7 is an annular downwardly-opening channel 8, and again interior to this and in the body A are other holes in line with the previously-described ones, in

which the plungers 9 are adapted to reciprocate. These plungers are caused to move in unison withthe plungers in such a manner that as the apparatus revolves the plungers 9 are extended across the discharge-opening 8o 8, so as to close the inner ends of the moldopening 7, and while in this position the plunger-s6 are caused to move across the channel B, containing the briquet material, and

they carry before them a sufficient amount of material to fill the mold-chambers 7. A

continuation of the movement of these plungers 6 while the plungers 9 remain stationary compresses the material within the mold to such condition of hardness as may be found o After this is effected the inner plungers 9 retract, while the outer plungers 6, still following them, force the completed briquets out of the mold7and into the down- Wardly-opening channel 8, where they drop 5 into any suitable receptacle.

The adjacent ends of the plungers 6 and 9 are preferably concaved, as shown, so that the body of the briquet will be approximately cylindrical, and the ends will be in the form of globular convex segments, which unite'with the cylindrical portion to form obtuse angles, which are not liable to break or chip 06, this being an approved form in which to make the briquets. It will be understood, however, that the shape of the molds or the ends of the plungers may be varied to o suit the demand of the manufacturer or purchaser without materially departing from my invention. The movement of the plungers is effected by cams. I have here shown the plungers 6 arranged in pairs, one above the other, and having antifrictional rollers located at the outerends. These rollers travel in contact with the interior faces of a cam 11, which is so disposed with relation to the plungers and the rollers that the plungers may be withdrawn to the fullest extent at one part of the revolution of the apparatus and forced in to the farthest extent to complete and discharge the briquet of another portion of the circumference. As here shown, 11 is the outer cam and 12 is an interior cam, between which two the rollers pass after the plungers have been forced in to their farthest extent so as to discharge the briquet. The continued rotation of the apparatus causes the stationary cam 12 to act and to gradually withdraw 5 they have crossed the channel B and have filled the mold-openings '7. The interior plungers 9 are in like manner provided with antifriction-rollers, as at 13, and these rollers travel upon the surface of an interior cam 14.

This cam is of such description that com mencing at the point where the plungers 6 have been withdrawn to their fullest extent the periphery of this cam is approximately circular and equidistant from the center of revo- 5 lution around to the point where the desired compression has been effected. This portion of the cam-surface holds the plungerswith their outer ends just entered into the moldchambers 7, and in this position they form 0 practically an interior bottom to the mold, against which the outer advancing plungers force the material, and after the outer plungers have entered the outer ends of these mold-chambers the inner plungers 9, still re- 5 maining in this position by reason of the circular form of this portion of the cam, the outer ones are still further advanced by the cam 11 until the material has been sufficiently compressed. At this point the inner cam 1 1 o recedes or becomes smaller, as shown at 14, and allows the plungers 9 to retract by the pressure of the still advancing plungers 6, and the completed briquet, forming a practically solid connection between the two, is

carried out of the mold-chamber 7 until it arrives in the discharge-channel 8. At this instant the form of the cams 11 and 12, between which the rollers 10 have now entered,changes, so that the outer plungers 6 begin to retract, and this frees the briquet, so that it may drop through the discharge-channel. From this point the outer plungers are gradually withdrawn across the feed-channel B, while the inner plu ngers are again advanced across the discharge-channel 8 until they close the inner ends of the molds, and the operation is repeated. There may be as many of these radial lines of plungers as the circumference of the interior cams will allow space for, and each set is continuously in operation.

l1 represents sections of the outer cam, which are hinged at the ends of the sections 11 of these cams, and at the meeting ends of the sections 11 they are connected by links 15 with a screw 16, which fits within a nut 17. This nut is prevented from advancing by a suitable shouldered groove or channel, as at 18, and when it is turned in its position it will advance the screw 16, and with it that portion of the cam-sections 11, either inwardly or outwardly. This enables me to so adjust the cam that the innere nds of the plungers 6 may follow the material in the mold-chambers a little more or less, and as the plungers 9 remain sta'tionary'it will be seen that this enables me to regulate the amount of compression to which the briquets are subjected in the mold.

In order to steady the plungers 6 as they slide backward and forward and to prevent the pressure of the cam from unduly forcing them to one side during their revolution, I have shown extensions 19 outwardly from the outer portion of the rim A, through which the plungers slide, and these guides 19 have their interior surfaces fitted so that the plungers'6 travel against them either with or without intermediate antifrictional rollers or equivalent devices. The extensions 19 thus form a bearing of greater length than would be available in the rim itself without making it uhduly large and heavy.

In order to prevent the mixed coal and binding material from becoming doughy and sticky within the chamber B, I shall use stirrers,which may bein the form ofspurs or arms, projecting from a shaft 20, suitably supported from above the channel'B and having the lower spur armed end extending into the channel. The shaft may be 'revoluble by suitable means and serves to continuously stir up the material at a point just before the plungers commence to forceit into the moldchambers.

In order to prevent the completed briquets from sticking to the ends of the plungers, it is desirable to oil these ends after each briquet has been discharged. For this purpose I employ a pipe, as at 21, extending upwardly from below into the discharge-channel 8 and at such a point that oil will be discharged against the adjacent ends of the plungers 6 and 9 just before they begin to separate for a' new operation. If found desirable, the tube 21 may be armed with bristles or brushes, as at .22, in which case the tube will be made revoluble. and the lubricant discharged into the brushes will be carried by these brushes against the ends of the plungers. At the same time these brushes serve to remove any material which may adhere to the ends, thus leaving them clean and ready for a new operation.

When the material is inclined to adhere to the sides of the channel, scrapers 24 may be disposed at suitable points or just anterior to the point where the plungers commence to advance, and these scrapers will loosen any adherent material and turn it out into the channel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. The combination in a briquet-machine of an annular horizontally-revoluble body having radial mold and plunger chambers dis-,

posed in line with each other, exterior and interior lines of plungers movable in said oham: bers said lines of plungers disposed at right angles to the axis of the revoluble body, exterior and interior cams by which the plungers are moved radially with relation to each other to meet and compress the material in the mold-chambers, and an annular feedchannel exterior to the mold chambers through which channel the exterior plungers are movable to charge the molds and compress the material.

2. The combination in a briquetmachine of a horizontally-revoluble body having an annular feed-chamber on the upper surface, an annular dischargechamber opening downwardly from the lower surface, interposed radially-disposed molds, a plurality of plunger-chambers in line with said molds, exterior and interior plungers arranged in pairs and disposed at right angles to the axis of the revoluble body, and cams by which they are actuated with relation to each other in planes radial to the axis of said body, whereby material is first carried by the exterior plungers from the feed-channel into the molds, compressed therein, the interior plungers afterward retracted in unison with the forward movement of the exterior plungers whereby a completed briquet is discharged through the downwardly-opening channel.

3. The combination in a briquet-machine of an annular horizontally-revoluble body having an annular feed-channel on its upper surface, an annular discharge-channel on the lower surface, radially-disposed mold-chambers intermediate between the two exterior and interiorplungers, and cams by which the interior plungers are advanced across the discharge-channel to close the inner ends of the moldchambers, and cams by which the outer ,plungers are advanced to carry charges of the material from the feed-channel into the moldchambers, and to afterward compressit therein, movable segments of the outer cam, and means for adjusting the same to increase or decrease the amount of movement of the outer plungers, and correspondingly vary the pressure Within the mold.

4. The combination in a briquet-machine of a horizontally-revoluble body having an annular feed-channel at the top, an annular discharge-channel at the bottom, intermediate radially disposed mold chambers, interior plungers and cams by which said plungers are advanced to cross the discharge-channel to close the inner ends of the molds, exterior plungers movable across the feed-channel to carry material therefrom into the mold and afterward compress it, a cam by which said exterior plungers are actuated, said cam having jointed sections, a screw and nut and links connecting the screw with the meeting ends of the jointed sections whereby they may be adjustedto increase or decrease the movement and pressure of the exterior plungers within the mold.

5. The combination in a briquet-machine of an annular horizontally-revoluble body having superposed annular feed and discharge chambers, radially-disposed mold-chambers,

andinterior and exterior plungers arranged in pairs and slidable radially in line with the mold-chambers,substantially concentric cams by which said plungers are moved with relation to each other and guiding-abutments 19 against which the outer plungers are movable, said abutments projecting from the rim of the revoluble body and adapted-to guide the plum-- gers and steady them in their sliding movements.

6. The combination in a briquet-machine of a horizontally-revoluble body having an annular feed-channel above, an annular discharge-channel below,radiallydisposed moldchambers intermediate between said channels, a supply-hopper through which material is delivered into the feed-channel, plungers slidable in radial channels in line with the mold-chambers and cams by which they are actuated with relation to each other whereby the inner plungers temporarily close the inner ends of the mold-chambers, and the outer plungers carry charges of material from the feed-channel into the mold-chambers, and compress it therein, and agitators extending into the channel and revoluble therein at a point anterior to that where the plungers commence to deliver the material into the molds.

7. The combination in a briquet-machine of ahorizontaily-revoluble body havingfeed and discharge channels, radially-disposed moldchambers and correspondingly-movable plungers in line therewith arranged in pairs and ICC movable one relative to the other in a. plane I substantially at right angles to the axis of the revoluble body, cams by which said plunger-s are moved to first close the mold-chambers, compress the material therein, then respectively retract and advance to deliver the completed brick into the discharge-channel, and a lubricating-supply pipe within said channel whereby the ends of the plungers are Inbricated and cleaned after each discharge.

1 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD MARTIN. WVitnesses:

S. H. NOURSE,

JESSIE O. BRODIE. 

